Standard Poodles are amazing dogs. They are gentle, fun loving, eager to please and very intelligent. They are rated the second smartest dog. It is said they have a reasoning ability of a 3 year old child and a capacity to comprehend at least 250 words.

Many people think of standard poodles as fru fru French standard poodles. Standard poodles were actually bred by the Germans as fowl retrieving dogs. The word poodle is derived from the Low German word pudel, which means “to splash about.” The funny poofs of hair and shaved areas, in seemingly random places, as seen in show dogs (the continental cut), were to protect their internal organs from the cold water, yet allow the poodle to swim out to retrieve the fowl. If the dog’s hair grows out it will turn into dread-locks, which absorb water, making it hard for the dog to swim because of the weight.

Eventually, standard poodles became the dog of the prominent in France, most likely because of their grace and beauty. And soon they became the national dog of France. People loved clipping and decorating their poodles and that is where the fru fru stereo type came from.

If you have ever seen a standard poodle at the perfect trot, at a dog show or just at the park, it really is a beautiful thing. They are so graceful. I love how one lady put it, “they prance with an air that demands attention.” They are very fast and have lots of energy, but not obnoxiously so. If allowed, standard poodles seem to be able to run forever, but a 30 minute walk expends their energy too. They are very alert and will let you know when someone is coming to the door but they aren’t yappy.

Standard poodles have a strong prey drive and whether they have been trained or not, they will still keep your yard free from critters. We even had one standard poodle trying to get a mouse that had come in our house! Poodles love to play fetch and are very good with children. They also are normally good with other dogs. They will chase cats, as we have found, all over your house, but once they catch it, they won’t hurt it. They just love to play. They love attention and just want to please you. Standard poodles are truly amazing dogs.